“Nothing might be muchbetter than this. It’s the champs of the Big East and the champs of the Big Ten. You’ve got to play and beat the finest to be crowned a nationwide champ. That’s what is so amazing about this match.”
Those were the words of UConn sophomore forward Alex Karaban when asked to explain Saturday night’s East Regional Final inbetween ruling nationwide champ Connecticut and Illinois, which is making its veryfirst Elite Eight look consideringthat 2005.
The million-dollar concern in this year’s NCAA Tournament is quite clear: Can anyone beat UConn?
The Huskies gointo Saturday night’s Elite Eight match with the Illini havingactually beaten 9 straight challengers in the NCAA Tournament by at least 13 points. They have won 3 videogames in this year’s Big Dance by an average margin of 29 points.
Illinois fifth-year senior Marcus Domask had to play a 32-4 Purdue group twotimes this season, however even he didn’t bat an eye when asked about Dan Hurley’s program, which has now won 40 of its last 43 videogames.
“I would state they’re plainly the finest group we’ve played,” stated Domask, who has balanced 15.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 helps this season, playing the function of Robin to Terrence Shannon Jr. on this Illinois group. “They’re the general No. 1, so that implies they’re the finest. I simply believe they’re actually deep. All 5 beginners are averaging in double-digits. They have no drop-offs at all. Anybody they bring into the videogame, they can program various designs with their huge guys, and they have a excellent point guard in Tristen Newton, who runs their group.”
As complimentary as Domask was of the Huskies, who are attempting to endedupbeing the veryfirst repeat nationwide champs because Billy Donovan’s Florida groups accomplished the task in 2006 and ‘07, senior huge male Coleman Hawkins took a various method.
“I feel like there’s no pressure on us,” Hawkins stated. “I feel like it’s another videogame. We’re going to prepare the exactsame method. We’re going to practice the exactsame method. We’re going to go about the movie researchstudy the verysame method. I feel positive. I feel comfy.”
Speaking of movie researchstudy and sensation comfy, Hurley informed FOX Sports on Friday night that he’s been viewing the Nov. 14 Gavitt Games conference inbetween Illinois and Marquette as a method to prepare for the Illini.
“Illinois is as great as the finest groups in our league,” stated Hurley, whose Huskies were signedupwith by Marquette and Creighton in the Sweet 16 before both the Golden Eagles and Bluejays fell on Friday night after the Big East began 7-0 in the competition. “They’ve got the physicality, the rebounding and NBA-level gamers. They’ve got all of the guard play, and they’ve got some Villanova quality to them with the method they post their guards and invert their bigs.”
Illinois ranks 11th in the country with a +8.2 rebounding benefit per videogame, with the Huskies are up to 5th at +8.8. UConn controlled San Diego State on the glass, 50-28, on Thursday, while likewise holding a 38-18 benefit in points in the paint.
While Illinois coach Brad Underwood was very complimentary of top-seeded UConn, specifying that Hurley hasactually done a excellent task and that he has a “tremendous regard for how tough they play,” the seventh-year Illini leader stays positive as he gets set to lead a group into the Elite Eight for the veryfirst time in his 11 years as head coach at the college level.
With one of the most knowledgeable groups in the country, and a group that he is plainly having enjoyable with, especially after Thursday’s 72-69 win over Iowa State to advance to the local last, it’s simple to see why.
“UConn is fantastic, and they’re right up there with the finest groups we’ve played,” Underwood stated. “But we’ve seen them all in the Big Ten as well, and we’re ecstatic for the chance.
“They run a lot of sets, absolutelynothing that we sanctuary’t seen throughout the course of Big Ten play and postseason. We’ve got to guard it. We can’t get too extensive, however we’ve got to hammer home some of the crucial elements we desire to shot to do on both ends of the court. They run in shift. They get a lot of 3s in shift. We love to run in shift. We love to rating under 7 seconds. So it’s some matching designs.”
On the offensive end of the flooring, there’s no concern it is that type of match, as UConn boasts the country’s No. 1 offensive performance, with Illinois at No. 2 in that classification. One factor why this videogame is filled with intrigue is the reality that even with the Huskies having a first-team All-American in Newton, they wear’t have the finest gamer heading into this videogame. Nobody hasactually been muchbetter in this competition, or in the last 3 weeks, than Shannon, who has balanced 30.3 points per videogame over the last 7 contests.
The Huskies, on the other hand, are very wellbalanced, with 3 various gamers leading them in scoring in 3 NCAA Tournament videogames. Cam Spencer scored a team-high 18 points, while Newton provided 17 and Stephon Castle had 16 in the win over San Diego State.
The method Underwood developed his group with huge, flexible guards suggests Illinois can switch on defense, however that changing has to be constant, as the Illini rank 84th in KenPom defensive performance, while Connecticut ranks 6th in that classification. But there are resemblances in the method these groups play, which might lead to a close videogame, something UConn hasn’t knowledgeable much this season.
Even in the middle of blowouts, the aggressive and old-school stateofmind of Hurley does not modification.
“It’s going to be a bloody fight,” Hurley stated of Saturday’s match with the Illini. “It’s a rebounding war tomorrow. It’s going to be a bloody one. The Big East and the Big Ten, 2 of the mostdifficult leagues. You get genuine guys playing in these 2 conferences. So, when the ball goes up, whoever’s fastest to it, whoever makes that veryfirst violent contact and then continues to enhance their position. I understand they’re starving to break through and get to a Final Four. We’re starving to get back to a Final Four, and we’re 2 of the really best groups in the nation.”
With the top-two seeds in the West Region, North Carolina and Arizona, both getting knocked out of the competition on Thursday night, the winner of Saturday night’s face-off in Boston has to feel like they’ve got a much muchbetter track to the title videogame than what it was looking like on paper.
It’s “Game On” Saturday night in Boston, with a journey to Phoenix on the line.
John Fanta is a nationwide college basketball broadcaster and author for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a range of capabilities, from calling videogames on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to offering commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
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